


Kindred Spirits

by bitzygirl



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Book: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, Nicodranas (Critical Role), Nonbinary Character, Other, i didn't even know most of these tags existed, my PC/dm's NPC, original oni npc, there needs to be a better category for pairings with nb partners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:01:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29421273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitzygirl/pseuds/bitzygirl
Summary: Our party journeyed to Nicodranas, where we took part in a fighting ring and ended up besting the ten-year champion. My character took a liking to him, and I've been thinking about the two of them nonstop during our game's hiatus. These short scenes are purely self-indulgent. For an introduction to my character, see my only other work on my profile.
Relationships: Original D&D Character(s)/Original D&D Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. After the Arena

**Author's Note:**

> Meet the characters:  
> Nosra Fisher (they/them) - Fire Genasi, Wild Magic Sorcerer, my character and the main character for these stories  
> To'ran aka "Red" (he/him) - Oni (previously Ki'nau before being cursed to this form, usually keeps the form of a Half-Orc), arena gladiator  
> Celeste Greenmantle (she/her) - Human, Open Hand Monk  
> Noah Casterlane (he/him) - Hollow One, Fathomless Warlock  
> Remy Labesque (he/him) - Tiefling, Glamour Bard  
> Aquilo Lykaios (he/him) - Winged Tiefling, Oath of Vengeance Paladin  
> Julia Orlogsdottir (she/her) - Goliath, War Cleric

_"You fight good!"_

_Sickly green magic released from their hands, striking the giant in the chest with poisonous intent. The foe's body went slack, dropping from levitation and crumbling to the ground._

_Silence. Then, from the announcer: "Ladies and gentlemen... we appear to have new champions."_

_....._

_The oni - Red - stood outside the office still in his true form. Rather than anger, his demeanor held respect. "You all were the first fight I've lost in ten years. I'll admit, you gave me a good match."_

_Coin pouch full of their winnings and a good mood in the air, they couldn't help but ask._

_"As a show of good sportsmanship, can I treat you to a drink?"_

_....._

Later that night, comfortably buzzed after drinks with Celeste and finally relaxing after the busy day, Nosra realized the full implications of their invitation.

They fought someone for sport. They _won._ They'd be able to partake in the old tradition they could never do before they came of age - a drink to good sportsmanship and good humor. Red had _accepted!_

Unable to fall asleep quickly, they pulled out their journal and started drawing by the flickering light of their hair. A long, smooth stroke across the page followed by another. Short, quick brushes along the margins. Some shading rubs here, some smaller detailed lines there. Despite the less-than-optimal lighting and the ample alcohol flowing through them, it only took twenty minutes or so before a decent half-body sketch had taken shape. From the page, Red's true form - horns, fangs, muscles, tattoos - glared up at them. 

A beat passed. Then another.

_Maybe I should make sure I don't sound stupid when I talk to him next time,_ they thought. Flipping the page, they started writing down possible questions and conversation topics in preparation for the rendezvous.

By the time they finished, the moon hung high in the sky and they felt marginally better about the next few days.

.....

Drinks went well. Drinks went _really, really well._ Red was great to talk to, and he was even nice enough to join Nosra on their vandalism spree! It was so much fun that they were able to temporarily forget about the danger following them from the sea, and at the end of the night they had a job offer for the whole party that could result in everyone no longer being on the casino owner's bad side. Sure, everyone would have to set out first thing tomorrow morning, but they've all left on shorter notice for worse reasons so they probably won't mind. 

Settling down to sleep for the night, eagerly anticipating the journey in the morning, Nosra drifted off with pleasant thoughts and dreams. _You know, this is probably the first person outside of the ship who actively made time to hang out with me..._


	2. The Calm After the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After confronting the hag who cursed Red to his oni form and freeing his sister from her clutches, everyone takes a short reprieve to recover from the ordeal. Nosra, Remy, and Celeste reckon with what they gave up in exchange for the siblings' souls.

Red and his sister were reunited, the memories of their original identities regained - To'ran and Le'lana, brother and sister, oni and dullahan. The walk back to Nicodranas was quiet with exhaustion, mixed feelings abounding through the party. On the one hand, the pair had been reunited and freed from the hag's contract. Nobody died or lost any body parts, and the group even gained a new member in the form of one very large Goliath cleric named Julia. On the other hand, three people gave up things that mean the most to them in order for the exchange to take place, and Nosra was having to deal with the fact that their haste to accept the quest without talking with the group first was entirely to blame for the current circumstances.

They couldn't fulfill their part of the bargain. They didn't have enough bartering material to get both Red - To'ran? they should probably ask which name he wants to go by now - and Le'lana, and two of their friends had to pick up their slack. Now they were without any stories to tell ( _"'Every story I've told and every one I'll ever tell. You can have them.' What was I thinking?!"_ ), Remy was now a bard without music, and Celeste's last memento of her destroyed home lay in the grisly hands of the horrid witch of the woods. In other words, Nosra was in debt, and it was unlikely they'd ever be able to pay this one off.

_Speaking of debts..._

Glancing around at the party, Nosra made their way over to Noah, who they now owed 300 gold for the horse that ran away on the journey. Fortunately, that was the extent of their debt to him; if they hadn't managed to step up before he agreed to the hag's request...

"Hey Noah," they muttered. "What were you about to give up back there?"

Just as quietly, his deep voice drawled, "She asked for love. I was going to give her the only love I've ever had." A hand brushed the ever-present scarf around his neck, and Nosra had a chilling thought: either he intended to give up his spouse's love for him, or he intended to give up his love for his spouse. Either way, they're glad they finally found something worth bartering with before he could.

As the lights of Nicodranas approached over the horizon, Red stopped the group and gestured to the ethereal flame that took the place of his sister's head. "So _I_ can change to a more humanoid form, but I don't think she can, and I'm not sure how to get her through the gates without attracting too much attention."

Pulling off their Cloak of Elvenkind, Nosra held it out to Le'lana. "Here," they offered. "This should help get you through the city without too much trouble. Believe me, the hood is really good at hiding flames," they joked without much humor. They watched her take it with some trepidation, then put it around herself cautiously. Seeing that nothing bad happened, she seemed to relax minutely. _Well at least I know I can get this back,_ they thought.

The cloak seemed to do the trick, and the party traveled through the city with no issue. Once they arrived back at the casino, Red turned to the group and said, "I... I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me, for us. I really owe you guys one... or two... or five..." he trailed off exhaustedly. Turning back to Nosra, he gestured toward the cloak around his sister and said, "Come see us tomorrow and we'll return this to you. For now, I think we've got a lot of things to work out for the immediate future."

Nodding in agreement, they turned to make their way... somewhere. Fortunately, Noah had a better idea of what to do before they could wander off and get lost, and everyone minus Celeste and Julia made their way over to the Lavish Chateau for a chance to take their minds off the day they'd had.

.....

Yeah, they probably should have gone back to Aquilo's house. Wandering the streets and alleyways of the Opal Archways, completely unfamiliar with the layout and _quite_ buzzed, was not the best way to get in a good headspace. Falling back on old coping mechanisms, Nosra pulled out a couple pieces of charcoal and started doodling on the nearest building. Another alley, another doodle, on and on as they halfheartedly tried to find their way back to their lodging.

They were in the middle of a rough sketch of the hag in an extremely unflattering position when they heard the familiar voice and saw the shimmer of the long green cloak. "Okay, this is pretty sad, and I hate seeing you all mopey. What did I tell you about giving up things that you didn't want to lose?"

Nosra sighed and admitted, "I don't regret it. I fulfilled my promise to him, we got everyone out of there alive, and things could have turned out a lot worse. It's just that... while we were in the Lavish Chateau, I was trying to run through some of the old stories you used to tell me. I tried reciting them under my breath, but I never got more than a sentence or two before I just... couldn't." Another sigh, this one heavier. "I'd start out strong, but after a few words, everything just left."

"I know it's useless to tell you that you should have been more careful or anything like that, so let's see if we can't make you feel a bit better." With a wave of his hand, The Traveler animated all the drawings on the wall in front of the pair. Multiple rude sketches of the hag started fighting with each other, and the unflattering images made for a hilariously disturbing scene. 

Caught between wanting to cover their eyes and not being able to look away, Nosra actually burst out laughing. "Oh-oh wow. That's really awful. That's disturbing," they snickered. 

"It really is, but it got you to laugh," he replied. "Now, what should we do about the rest of the night?"

.....

After the fifth extremely fancy-dressed man slipped and fell on a puddle they froze, the pair had to slip back into the shadows to avoid their laughter arousing suspicion. Wandering along to their next target location, The Traveler struck up a more casual conversation than what they opened with earlier.

"Soooo... Wanna tell me about the fellow you felt was important enough to give up your stories for?" Looking over at him, Nosra saw his signature mischievous smirk peek out from under his hood. 

"I-I, well-... It wasn't like that!" The flame on their head flickered as they stammered. "The other folks got on Dorian's nerves - oh, that's the casino owner who runs the illegal fighting ring - and Red said that if we helped him get his sister back then he'd put in a good word with him for us to get him off our backs. This would just make things easier for us next time we come to the city - not to mention Remy and Aquilo actually _live_ here. I mean yeah, it was kinda their decision to mouth off to Dorian in the first place, but still. Besides, I promised that we'd do it, and I had to keep my word _somehow!_ " At that point, Nosra realized they were starting to ramble a bit, and they promptly shut their mouth.

The Traveler hummed thoughtfully, then replied in a teasing tone, "And I'm sure you would have accepted the quest anyway even if the fine gentleman in question wasn't so tall and muscular, wouldn't you?"

Nearly avoiding tripping over a stray crate, Nosra responded, "Of course! This was a worthy cause!" A few beats of smug silence passed. "Okay fine, it definitely didn't hurt. But can you blame me? You only get a physique like that from years of hard work, and anyone with eyes can appreciate the effort he puts into his craft." More silence. "Look, I know you haven't gotten to see a lot of him, but the fangs and horns and tattoos and everything in his true form really works on him!"

Having some mercy on their rambling, The Traveler spoke again. "Right, right. I'm sure the mere sight of him would be enough to persuade any reasonable person to confront a hag in the middle of the woods. Just don't expect too much from a man you barely know."

"I- I said it's not like that," they replied. "I just think he's handsome, alright? Like I said, it's clear he's put in a lot of work to get the kind of body he has now. Celeste, Aquilo, and that Julia lady are all attractive too, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna fall in love with them!"

"Who said anything about falling in love?" That mischievous smirk peeked out again.

Hair flickering wildly in the night, Nosra quickly walked ahead. "I think I see a good place for another slip spot up here."

.....

_"Embrace entropy. Adapt to the chaos of the universe. Don't let the mundane get in your way."_

As Nosra lay in bed thinking of their friend's parting words, they felt themself drifting off to sleep a bit easier than they expected to after the day they'd had. And if they happened to dream of brief glimpses of broad shoulders and scarlet horns, well...

That was nobody's business but their own.


	3. Long Distance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shore leave doesn't last forever. The party has to return to the ship and the open sea, leaving Nicodranas and the people they met there. Fortunately, a miraculous system allows people to continue communicating even over incredible distances: mail.
> 
> More character introductions:  
> Soren & Soleil (he/him & she/her, respectively) - Water Genasi twins, work in ship navigation  
> Scout (he/him) - young Kenku orphan who stowed away on the ship soon after we joined the crew, unofficially adopted by Celeste as her nephew, runs small errands for the crew  
> Argoth (he/him) - Sahuagin we spared in battle and offered a chance at a new life at sea, scouts the waters ahead of the ship  
> Luna (she/her) - Aasimar, works as the ship's medic-in-training  
> Samson (he/him) - giant Devil Toad, ex-circus performer, Luna's father figure  
> Gates (he/him) - Half-Orc first mate and quartermaster, trains Aquilo in his job's duties

It's been a week since the ship pulled out of port.

Seven days since Le'lana joined the crew of misfits, unable to find any way to live in Nicodranas in her current condition. Seven days since Aquilo and Remy bid farewell to their respective families, with the party facing many threats from the Lykaioses and the Labesques to keep their precious babies safe and healthy _or else._ Seven days since everyone slept in a real bed (with the exception of Celeste, whose position on the ship guaranteed her a room with a bed, and Remy, whose romantic entanglement with another high-ranking crew member gave him access to a bed as well) and ate hot, fresh meals that weren't prepared from rations and said goodbye to their land-faring friends and loved ones.

( _"Again, I can't thank you enough. I don't know how I can repay you for this," Red had said when he returned Nosra's cloak._

_"Well, I gave up my ability to tell stories for the two of you," they had replied. "I think it would only be fair if you wrote to me sometime and shared a few stories of your own."_

_Red had looked a little surprised at the idea that they wanted to keep in touch with him, and he agreed with a simple, "Yeah, I think I can do that."_ )

They still had a long journey to go before they reached Darktow, but right now morale was high. With only a short rain shower the previous day, sailing had been smooth and unremarkable - perfect conditions to introduce two new crew members to life at sea. Celeste fell back into her bosun duties like she never left, showing Julia and Le'lana around their jobs and helping them get settled. While Julia's size and strength made it easy to assign her to working the masts and sails with the other upper deck crew, Le'lana was a bit more difficult. The lack of a physical mouth made communication a challenge, but a ship could always use more errand runners for the crew and sign language lessons were progressing steadily.

From their place in the kitchen, Nosra watched their friends socializing as the day-shift crew sat down for dinner. Noah took some small chunks from the stew to feed to his familiar ( _"_ _Are octopi supposed to eat beef? I should ask about that."_ ) while Luna talked animatedly about something in her medical books. Over to the side of the room, Aquilo and Julia were arm wrestling several gunners while Gates tried to keep the damage to the tables to a minimum. Remy, noticeably quieter without his violin, picked at his stew while leaning on Soren's shoulder, who in turn was listening to Soleil recounting some of the things the twins had found in the city. In a quieter corner of the galley, Celeste bounced Scout on her knee as she and Argoth both tried to sign a simple conversation with Le'lana. All in all, not a bad sight.

After everyone else had been served, Nosra poured a bowl of stew for themself and set the remainder out for anyone who wanted more. They probably had about an hour before the night-shift crew would need their first meal, so they elected to eat in the kitchen and take stock of what they already had out and what they would need to get from the cargo hold. Twenty minutes later, ingredients gathered and bowl empty, they found themself with a bit of time to kill. Looking back at the scenes around the galley, their eyes fell on Le'lana and the stilted sign language conversation she was able to carry, and they found a way to spend their spare time. They cleared off a small section of the counter, pulled a few blank pages out of their journal, and started writing.

_Hey Gladiator!_

_At the time of writing this, we're about seven days out of port. You'll be glad to hear that things have been pretty peaceful so far -_ here they paused to knock on the wooden surface, not wanting to jinx the journey ahead - _and Le'lana has adjusted to life on the ship really well. We've been having her run simple errands around the ship because nobody really knew what she was capable of or what she was interested in, but hopefully we'll be able to ask her within the next few days. We've actually been working to teach her a kind of sign language that some of our crew knew, so she'll have a better way of communicating with us than just writing everything out. Don't worry, I'll make sure to teach you next time we see each other! Wouldn't want you to miss out on talking to her, after all._

_We're about a month or so away from our intended destination, but that doesn't mean something won't change suddenly - we might get news of a huge treasure haul, or we might be called to help out someone else, or we might run into another Dragon Turtle (don't ask) or something and be forced to make land wherever we possibly can. Whatever happens, I'll make sure to keep you updated. I know it's got to hurt, being away from your sister so soon after you got her back, but we'll keep her safe and get her back to you as soon as we can. Who knows? Maybe we might even find a way to return her to a more humanoid form while we're traveling._

_Remember, I want to hear some stories when you get the chance!_

_Keep an eye on the horizon._

_N. Fisher_

.....

_Nosra,_

_I'm so sorry I didn't write earlier. Dorian's been keeping me busy. I've had to write a few minutes at a time between fighting and bodyguarding. You're right, it does hurt being away from her now that I just got her back, but I'm glad to hear she's doing well. I'd love to learn this sign language the next time you're in the city. The ability to actually speak with my sister again - it means more to me than you can imagine. I look forward to hearing about your journeys, and I **absolutely will** ask about the Dragon Turtle later._

_As for stories, I think you would've liked to see this match I fought in a few days after your ship left. My opponents were a group of four magic users and one frontliner. They had a pretty good strategy: buff the strongman as much as possible to do the actual fighting, then use the rest of their focus to either shield their own bodies or fire off spells at me. The frontman actually ended up becoming about as big as me, but unlike me he was still bound to the ground. One of the mages got in a really good hit on me that took off one of my ears (don't worry, I could still heal myself, so it wasn't permanent), so I took his as retribution! And the look on their faces the first time I went invisible was priceless! I think their meat shield almost lost his lunch while they were trying to find me._

_[...]_

_Sorry, it's been a busy few days. I forgot what else I was saying in that last paragraph I wrote (I swear I meant to come back and finish it at some point, but I just never got the chance to before I forgot what I wanted to say), but you would not believe the week I've had between then and now. This huge fight broke out near the mage tower, like I mean 20 people all brawling in the street. Dorian actually ended up getting a lot of new clients after that - lots of folks found themselves with a taste for violence and a desire to show off in front of an audience. I didn't get to fight in the ring the days after the street brawl, I was assigned to work the casino floor and intimidate folks trying to cheat. Those days are always so dull. I don't really even have to do much except wear this stuffy suit and walk around glaring at people, and the most exciting thing to happen was someone got thrown out for counting the cards at the poker table. Sorry I don't have a better story or anything for you this time._

_I haven't been able to stop thinking about that thing you mentioned, the possibility of you guys finding a way to give Le'lana a humanoid body somewhere on your journeys. I don't want to hold out too much hope for a fantasy, but it's a nice thought. You just focus on staying safe and making sure your team knows how to stay alive. I'd hate for you to die before we can get a rematch._

_I'll be watching for your letters._

_Safe journeys,_

_To'ran_

.....

"Whatcha reading?"

Quickly tucking the letter away, Nosra whirled around to face Luna and Soleil. How the pair managed to keep sneaking up on them, they had no idea. "Nothing," they replied unconvincingly.

"Uh-huh," Soleil smirked, "if it's nothing then why did you hide it? Come on, I thought we Genasi had to stick together and trust each other and stuff."

"What are you two even doing here? The kitchen is _my_ domain until the end of my shift, and you two are trespassing." Nosra realized they were probably being a little overbearing, but in their defense, they were caught off-guard.

Luna piped up, "You didn't report to the med bay after that last incident on deck. I wanted to give you your last warning in person before I sent Samson to come get you."

_"On the one hand, I wasn't even nearby when the rigging came loose,"_ they thought. _"But on the other hand, Samson definitely won't be as gentle if he has to bring me to her office, and then I might actually end up getting hurt."_ Making up their mind quickly, they replied, "Alright, alright. Let me put the rest of the dishes up to dry and I'll be right there."

Although Luna seemed satisfied with the answer and left to get ready for the exam, Soleil stayed put. "Don't think I didn't notice you dodging the question, candlehead," she said teasingly. "What were you reading that made you so jumpy when we came in? You weren't reading anything lewd while on the job, were you?" 

They turned with a shocked expression and answered, "Who do you take me for, your brother?! Just because I want to keep something private doesn't mean it's inappropriate for the workplace." 

Her expression softened as she spoke, saying, "Look, if it's really something you want to keep private, I won't push you. But you had the cutest smile on your face while you were reading, and I just wanted to know what's got you looking all gooey like the way Soren looks at Remy."

"I don't look _gooey_."

"You really do."

They huffed and kind of shook their head in exasperation. "It's really nothing," they said. "I just made a friend during our last stop and we've been keeping in touch." The fact that they had almost missed the start of their shift because they kept reading the letter over and over again didn't need to be known by anyone else.

"A friend, you say," Soleil said with a knowing look on her face. "Given how things seem to turn out every time your little group goes off on your own, I'm guessing this friend is part of the reason why we have two new... interesting crew members on board." She paused to give Nosra a chance to refute the claim, but they really couldn't. "You should tell me all about it later! We haven't heard a good story from you in a couple days, so this seems like a good place to start." With that, she gave a little wave and strolled out and back up the stairs.

Nosra let out a tired sigh, realizing that they'd have to let her in on the truth at some point. But that could wait. For now, they had dishes to dry and a medical exam to undergo. 

As they went about their tasks, the heavy air that weighed on them at the thought of explaining what they went through seemed to lighten every time they brushed against the little lump of parchment folded up in their pocket.


	4. So Maybe There are Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A return to Nicodranas results in a realization.

While Nosra was never too excited to see signs of the Wildmother, the Mother's Lighthouse appearing over the horizon didn't fill them with the same sense of dread and irritation that it did the first time they came to the city. Instead, it brought a them a feeling of anticipation - the Lighthouse meant Nicodranas, and Nicodranas meant Red. 

Six months. Six months of letters and magical messages and packages of gifts small enough for the mail birds to carry. Nosra tried to keep him updated on everything they did - where they went, who they met, what they fought and found - so he wouldn't have to worry about what his sister was going through, but between limited parchment and the hag's bargain (which they still didn't regret, but they'd be lying if they said it wasn't a huge inconvenience) they could never manage to tell the whole story. Finally being able to speak in person again might help with at least one of those issues.

His last letter had suggested making a bet on the outcome of the rematch they'd planned, and their mind was racing trying to come up with a wager worth the effort. They've gotten stronger, more capable in their abilities in their time away, and although they're pretty sure they still couldn't beat him in a one-on-one fight, they could at least give him a run for his money. _"Money... no, that's too ordinary,"_ they thought. _"Maybe drinks again? Nah, a winner is supposed to buy drinks anyway without it being part of a wager. Hmmm..."_

As their thoughts and the ship both drifted closer to shore, they started gathering their belongings for a day out in town. On their way out of the crew quarters, they ran into Noah and Le'lana, who apparently just finished doing the same. Handing over their cloak to her, they asked the pair, "So what's on the schedule for the day?"

Noah glanced at Le'lana before answering, "Well, Aquilo offered up his house for us to stay in again. I think Remy and Soren are gonna be spending some quality time together, and Celeste said something about 'being a better parental figure and role model' to Scout so I'd assume that means she'll be taking him to see the sights. Other than that, we were just wondering the same thing."

Waving to get their attention, Le'lana started signing, **[I want to see my brother. Then I will decide where I want to stay for the rest of the shore leave. Will you two come with me?]**

"Of course we will," Nosra agreed. Seeing the confused look on Noah's face, they translated, "She wants us to go with her to visit Red. After she talks with him, she'll decide where she wants to spend her nights here in the city."

Nodding in understanding, he replied, "Right, we'd be happy to go with you. We can also grab Aquilo and Julia if having some muscle around would make you feel safer walking through town."

She thought a moment, then signed, **[Yes, I would like that.]**

The trio wandered around the ship to find the two, and together the five of them made their way to the deck in time to watch the ship pull up to the dock. In the light of the setting sun, a cursory glance around showed the usual tired faces of the dock workers, Gates's husband leaning on his cane as he watches the ship approach, and a few curious passers-by just observing the new ship arriving. Nosra continued looking over the crowd until-

"Hey, holy folks, I don't think your services will actually be needed that much."

Aquilo and Julia looked at them with confusion, but followed their gaze out into the crowd until they fell on the same figure. A tall Half-Orc with long black hair pulled up into a bun, arms covered in intricate tattoos, looking right back at their group and grinning wildly. 

"So does he alvays stay in that form vhen he is not tall and horned?" Julia asked. "Can he svitch the forms as he pleases, or is he bound to being a Half-Orc?"

"I don't think we ever asked," Aquilo's monotone voice responded. "Well at least it makes him easy to find. If any of you need me, I'll be heading home and getting my things put away. You guys have fun."

With that, the plank was lowered and the crew began disembarking. Nosra and Noah watched as some people embraced the ones they left behind, some hastily ran for the nearest tavern, and some simply stood on the docks and took in the sights of the City of Colors coming to life on a cool spring evening. Once the initial flood of people died down and all that remained were those who chose to stay on the ship for the moment, Nosra looked back at Red and gestured for him to come aboard. Turning to Le'lana, who had to tear her eyes away from the sight of her brother returning, they said, "If you two want some privacy or anything, let me know and I'll let you have the kitchen. Otherwise, Noah and I will stand guard over near the stairs to make sure nobody ruins your little family reunion."

Her hands shaking too much to sign properly, she simply grasped theirs and squeezed gently. Taking the gesture as a "thank you," they led Noah over to the stairs that led below deck and found a place to sit with a good vantage point. Together, the two watched as Red stepped onto the deck, seemingly at a loss for what to do now that Le'lana had returned. She, however, had no such hesitations, and immediately flung herself at him. Holding each other in a tight embrace, the siblings made for a truly heart-warming sight.

Eventually, the rest of the world made itself known, and the pair had to separate. Le'lana began signing rapidly in excitement, but her brother's increasingly confused and panicked expression reminded her that not everyone had been taught the language yet. Taking Red by the arm, she approached Nosra and Noah at their seat on the steps. **[He does not understand me yet. Please be my translator again,]** she requested.

Nosra replied, "It would be my honor."

.....

Four hours later, the siblings found a convenient conclusion to their conversation, and all the important business they'd needed to cover was taken care of. The updates on health and happiness, the interesting tales, the interested questions - Noah gave up before the second hour, and after their thigh went numb for the fourth time Nosra was almost thinking he had the right idea. But they couldn't blame the pair for wanting to catch up as quickly as possible, and they were happy they were able to help.

Le'lana elected to stay on the ship during the leave, saying that it would be too inconvenient to try to walk through the city to find other lodgings and the hammocks in the crew quarters were quite comfortable. Just before retiring for the night, she gave her brother one last hug before signing to Nosra, **[Tell him he can find me here on the ship whenever he wants to. I do not have plans for the city right now, and I am happy to spend time with him whenever he is able to. I am going to bed now. I will let you two have your time together.]**

They didn't get a chance to respond before she disappeared into the hold, leaving them alone with Red on the deck. Nobody else around, just the two of them. Two folks out on a ship, all by themselves, illuminated by the glow of the city and the stars twinkling above over the ocean. Just a pair of really good friends who are happy to see each other in person again. Yep. This is fine.

"Well, what did she say?"

Nosra didn't even realize they'd been staring until Red spoke, shaking them out of their thoughts. "She said she's going to bed for the night, and she doesn't have any plans while we're in the city," they repeated. "If you wanted to do anything with her, she'll be on the ship pretty much anytime."

Looking a bit skeptical, he pressed, "Was that all? You looked a little out of it for a minute there. Whatever it was, I can handle it."

Hurrying to reassure him, they replied, "Yeah, that was it. I was just caught off-guard. I didn't fully realize how much time had passed until I saw all the lights and stars out." They hoped they sounded convincing; ever since the deal with the hag, they found they had a lot more trouble coming up with convincing lies. Maybe a mostly-truth would be enough to satisfy him.

"Huh, I guess we did kinda talk for a while. I didn't notice" - _Success! -_ "but thank you for staying with us through all that. Hopefully you can teach me some of that sign language soon so we won't have to keep you for so long next time?" He looked happy at the idea, and Nosra found they wanted to keep him smiling like that a little longer. _Just because we're friends, and it's natural to want your friends to be happy._

Turning to face him fully, they said, "Well, if you're up for it then I can give you the first lesson right now." Seeing him nod eagerly and pull a bit more focus into himself, they held their right hand up in front of them with the palm facing out and all the fingers pressed together. Bringing it over to the left side of their chest and touching the palm to just below their shoulder, they explained, "This is a general greeting. It can be a 'hello,' 'good morning,' 'goodnight,' or 'goodbye' depending on the context." Dragging their fingertips across and curving upward as they passed the opposite side of their neck - "This means 'good'" - repeating the gesture, but curving downward instead - "and this means 'bad.'"

They spent yet another hour sitting on the deck, going through the basic signs and how to tell them apart, until both of them were yawning too much to continue. As they both stood to leave, Red put a hand on their shoulder and leaned down to speak quietly to them. "Again, I can't tell you how much this means to me," he said in a tender near-whisper. "I already owe you so much, and you just keep giving. Your friends gave my sister a home, you're giving me a way to talk to her, and I- I just don't know how to repay you for this."

Looking up at him, entranced by the light of their hair dancing in his eyes, they responded just as quietly, "I made you a promise. This is just my way of keeping it. If you really want to pay me back, you can give me a good rematch. We still need to settle on a wager, don't we?"

Chuckling good-naturedly, Red replied, "Indeed we do. I'm thinking if you win, I'll go on a fishing trip with you. I know you mentioned not getting to do that last time. And if I win, you have to help me clean off my weapons after a real fight."

"Deal. But I also have a few wagers of my own," they said with a mischievous smirk. "You're much much stronger than I am, and the chances of me winning - though still possible - are very small. I was thinking that if I'm able to last at least three minutes against you, you give me a tour of your favorite places in Nicodranas."

"Hm, interesting wager," he hummed thoughtfully. “And if I take you out in less than three minutes?"

"I take you out to dinner. Not just drinks, but a proper meal. Anywhere you want to go, plus the extra wager you’d get from winning."

Red grinned gleefully. "You got yourself a bet."

.....

Unsurprisingly, Red won the match. However, Nosra managed to hold their own against him for almost five minutes, so they won their small wager. Given his fighting schedule and how much the fight had worn them out, the two decided that the tour would happen later that evening and the weapon maintenance the day after next. Once they both rested and got someone to tend to their wounds (though mostly for Nosra, as they couldn’t heal themself like Red could), they met again at the casino just before sundown and made their way through the winding streets of the city.

It was...nice. Really nice. No worries, no responsibilities, just two folks meandering through the city, taking in the sights and sounds. Nosra found themself almost entranced with the way Red moved through the crowds, effortlessly navigated the twisting streets and alleyways, and spoke of his time in the city. Together, they visited his favorite theatre show, watched the street performers that he said played the best music, drew obscene images on the homes of some really obnoxious residents, and drank at the seedy tavern he suggested the first time they offered him a drink before making their way back to the deck of the ship.

While they were alone on the deck together again under the stars, their position was slightly different from the previous night. Instead of being seated on the stairs leading to the lower deck and facing each other, Nosra was perched on the railing with Red seated on the deck, leaning back against their legs. The alcohol buzzing in their veins gave the scene a floaty, fuzzy quality, and the warmth against their legs and the deep voice talking about everything and nothing just added to the dreamlike state they were experiencing. They don’t even know why they did what they did next, just that they found their mind wandering as Red was talking and they looked down-

"Can I braid your hair?"

Suddenly caught off-guard, Red turned to look at them with a bewildered expression. "What?"

"Sorry, that was a weird thing to ask," they tried to backpedal. "It’s just that back in my village, we’d sit this way as kids and braid each other’s hair - well obviously not me, I didn't have anything for them to braid, so I just got really good at braiding other folks - and I guess this brought back some memories. But I totally get it if-"

"Hey now," he started, "I never said no, just wasn’t sure where the question was coming from." Turning back around and leaning against them again, he continued, "Knock yourself out. Just don’t make me look stupid."

Reaching down, they separated a small section of his long black hair and tried out a few of the plaits they remembered. The basic three-strand and fishtail both just looked silly. The four-strand was better but didn't quite fit his look. Finally, they found the right look with the six-strand round braid that took them three months to get right. _Back, over, under, over, pull. Back, over, under, over, pull._ Going through the rhythmic motions was soothing, the repetition allowing their mind to relax and unfocus. Soon the strand was finished, and they moved on the the next one. Over and under and through they pulled the plaits, and it wasn't until they reached for the next section of hair that they realized they had braided Red's entire head. The man himself didn't seem to mind, given his relaxed posture and the lack of tension in his body. _Wait a minute..._

Red had fallen asleep. Now that their mind had come back from wandering, they could hear the soft snores over the gentle splash of waves against the dock. As they debated whether to wake him up, Nosra gathered the braided strands and tied them back in a low ponytail. When he didn't wake on his own, they decided he probably deserved some rest after the day they'd had (and the week in general, based on what he told them about his work schedule).

Gently combing through the braids and pulling apart the ones that had gotten tangled in the ponytail, they felt themself relaxing as well. Breath evening out to the rhythm of the waves, eyelids drooping closed more and more often as the minutes ticked by, they were so close to falling asleep as well. _Maybe just a few minutes..._

They only got a few moments of rest before the sound of raucous laughter spilling out of a nearby tavern jerked them awake, just in time to see Red wake up and take in his surroundings. Leaning back on the railing, they watched as he stretched, brushed against his hair, and reached back to feel it in further detail. 

Humming in thought, he said, "Huh, not bad."

Sighing deeply, he stood and stretched further. Taking this as their cue to end the night, Nosra slid off the railing and stretched as well, occasionally catching glimpses of Red looking at them with a soft expression in the flickering light of their hair.

Turning to look at them fully, Red placed a hand on their shoulder and said, "Today was fun. I'm glad you didn't die out at sea." He chuckled good-naturedly, continuing, "Things are definitely a lot more interesting with you around." With that, the hand on Nosra's shoulder slid around to the back of their neck and drew them closer. Red leaned down and pressed his forehead to theirs, his nose to theirs, and let his eyes slide closed as he let out a sigh of contentment.

Not wanting to disturb the moment, they let their own eyes fall shut, one hand coming up to gently grasp the arm holding the back of their neck. It felt like they stood together like that for a short eternity, and Nosra had never before felt so peaceful while their heart was trying to beat out of their chest. Their stomach felt simultaneously like it was floating in zero gravity and dropping like a stone - a sensation not unlike the time they jumped off a cliff, except this didn't feel like they had a safety rope - and yet their mind was quiet and their breathing relaxed. Unfortunately, the moment could not last forever.

With a gentle parting squeeze to the back of their neck, they watched Red's eyes flutter open as he drew back. His hand slid back to their shoulder, then slowly released them as they released their grasp on his arm. Giving them one last gentle look up and down, he took a step back, then another, until he had put enough distance between the two to look casual. Trying to sound like they hadn't almost had a heart attack just a minute ago, Nosra spoke up. "I'm glad we got to do this," they said, voice only shaking slightly. "I'll see you day after tomorrow to settle up on that other wager?"

Running a hand through his new hairstyle and nodding a bit, Red replied, "Yeah, same place and usual time. I'll talk to Dorian and have him let the guards know to expect you." Seeing them give a nod in acknowledgement he took a few more slow steps toward the boarding ramp. "I should probably-"

"Yeah, yeah," they said a little too enthusiastically. "It's a bit late, I wouldn't want to keep you too long." Even then, they strolled forward and walked with him the few dozen steps it took to reach the ramp.

Watching him descend, they felt that funny feeling in their stomach drop again, only to suddenly switch back to weightless floating when Red turned around and gave one last goodbye wave before strolling away. Only once he'd disappeared into the evening crowd milling about the docks did Nosra realize their heart was still beating wildly, and their gut was still doing backflips in their abdomen. 

Steeling their resolve, they descended below deck in search of a healer.

.....

Fortunately, even though Luna seemed to have found a place in town to spend her nights, Julia was committed to staying on the ship. Nosra only had to wander a few minutes before spotting her tall, imposing figure, and it only took a minute more to pull her aside for a private conversation.

Settling into a chair they pulled into the kitchen, she started, "So vhat is this about? You sounded rather urgent."

Hopping up on a counter near her, they answered, "Well most of the really holy folks I know seem to have some kind of training in healing magic, and I was wondering if you'd be able to give me a quick look-over. I would go find Luna, but I don't know where she's staying and I'd rather not wait until she comes back to the ship."

Giving them a cursory once-over, she responded, "You do not look injured. Vhat exactly do you need from me?"

"I think I might be coming down with something," they said. "My heart's been beating like crazy and my stomach has been tossing and turning and generally feeling like I leapt over a cliff without a rope."

At this, she sat up straighter and looked at them with more focus. "Tell me vhen you first noticed these symptoms. Vhat vere you doing? Vhat did you eat or drink before this? Did you come in contact vith any magic prior to the symptoms?"

"They started just a little while ago," they explained. "Red and I had our rematch fight earlier this afternoon, and earlier this evening he walked me around a tour of his favorite places in the city. As far as I know, I didn't come in contact with any magic that's not my own, and I just had some fish and ale at the Witherbird about two or three hours ago. We came back to the ship and talked a while, I braided his hair, we almost fell asleep, and while he was saying goodbye was when I noticed the stuff happening with my insides."

As they spoke, they watched the expression on Julia's face shift to something they couldn't read. When they finished, she seemed to take a few moments to gather her thoughts before speaking again. "This may seem odd, but be honest: vhat do you feel about Red?"

Caught off-guard, Nosra had to take a minute to process the question. "Well," they started, "I think he's awesome. He's super badass, he's got great sportsmanship on top of a respectable work ethic, and he's a lot of fun to be around." Finding themself unable to stop, they continued, "We have a lot in common, and we can talk to each other about things that other people we know wouldn't really be able to relate to. And he sees me as an equal! Not as an oddity or an exotic decoration that happens to be able to walk and talk, but a fellow person that he can just talk normally to about ordinary things. And he chooses to talk to me and hang out with me out of all the other things he could be doing!"

In some distant part of their mind, Nosra realized they were rambling again, but they couldn't find in them to reign their energy back in. "Like don't get me wrong, I love and value all the time I spend with you guys here on the ship, but that's kind of the thing - when you're stuck on a ship for weeks at a time, it's inevitable that we'll have to spend time together at some point. But Red has this whole city to explore and all these people to talk to and all these jobs to do, and he still actively chooses to spend time with me! And obviously he's really attractive, but anyone with eyes could see that."

Nodding in understanding, Julia stood from the chair and brushed the dust from her clothes. "Vell, I have good news. You are not sick," she proclaimed. "My professional diagnosis: you are an idiot, and you are in love."

"Wait wait, hold on," Nosra protested, "Red's just a friend-"

"A friend who you find attractive, who sees you and understands you in a vay that not many others do, who makes you _happy_ vith the vay he sees and understands you, who makes you look forvard to each day because it might bring another encounter vith him-"

"Okay okay okay," they interrupted, "I get your point." 

The two sat in silence for a few moments as Nosra processed this revelation. "So this is what love feels like?" As they asked, they brought a hand up to idly rub at their chest. "It's so different from what all the storybooks described..."

Nodding in sympathy, Julia quietly responded, "It can be overvhelming to some, and others just feel a soft contentment. It depends on the person and the relationship."

"Speaking of relationships..." they hesitated. Seeing their companion silently prompt them to continue, they finished, "What do I do now?"

Taking a large step toward the exit, she simply answered, "That depends on you, and on him, and on vhat you both truly vant from life," before leaving Nosra alone with their thoughts on the kitchen counter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it necessary for me to spend several days writing this? Maybe not. Will this situation happen in-game? Most likely not. Will I consider this the canon "realizing there are feelings" moment until the moment actually happens? Absolutely.


End file.
